Heater for incubators



J. W. OSBORNE.

HEATER FOR INCUBATORS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 21 1921.

1 4123040 memd A r. 11, 1922.

wit'nwo entree stat cs JOHN W. OSBORNE, 0F WINCHESTER, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 CHEsT L. WILLIAMS, 0F CHAPIN, ILLINOIS.

HEATER FOR INCUBATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. if, 1922.

Application filed March 21, 1921. Serial No. 454,258.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. OSBORNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winchester, in the county of Scott and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heaters for Incubators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled,

be supplied to the burner and thus entirelyovercomes the needless waste of fuel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater of this class which is simple in construction, is composed, of comparatively few simple and inexpensive parts, is automatic in operation, and requires extremely little attention on the part if the attendant, being also very advantageous in that; it can be manufactured and sold at an extremely low cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout. the same:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, with, parts broken away and shown in sections, of an improved heater constructed in accordancewith this invention.

and is, itselfcovered by a conventional type.

of burner, which as usual, includes a fabric wick which in this instance is in contact with and recelves fuel from the saturated porous material referred to, suitable means, of course, being employed for actuating the wick. Arranged within the container and cooperative with the outlet openin s is automatically operable means for restrictin the passage of fuel through said openings to sald porous material, capillary attractio n being depended upon to suck fuel through said outlet openings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, wherein the, construction and arrangement for accomplishing the above end is soecifically shown, the numeral 1 designates a fuel container of any suitable shape and size, the same, as before indicated, being equipped in its top with one or more fuel escape openlngs 2 which are considerably small tov restrict the passage of fuel therethrough. In addition to these openings, the container is provided at its top with another opening 3 which serves a purpose to be hereinafter described. Arranged on the top of the container and surrounding the opening,

is a vertically disposed ring or flange l which serves to form what be termed a cup. I arrange in this cup, a quantity of porous material 5, preferably in the form of an asbestos pad, a portion of said matrial extending upwardly and forming a tongue 6. Fitted over the ring 4 in the manner shown and covering the asbestos material, is a burner 7 of conventional form, the same, as is usual, including a fabric wick 8 and suitable means 9 for raising and lowering the same. At this point, I wish to state that the burner is equipped with internal guides 10 and the tongue 6 works in one o these guides while the Wick 8 extends through and slides in the other guide. A careful examination of the guides, as better shown in Fig. 1, will disclose the fact that they are so constructed as to permit portions of the wick and asbestos tongue to contact with one another so that the fuel may be transferred from the tongue to the wick. Since this burner is of conventional construction, it is not thought necessary to go into more detail regarding the particular details thereof.

It has already been indicated that the heater is automatic in operation and the amount offuel used to accomplish this end is reduced to a minimum. In carrying out this feature of the invention, I arrange a float 11 within the container 1 in such poition that it partially covers the fuel escape opening 2. In this way, the amount of fuel that passes through these openings is limited, yet, a small amount of fuel is permitted to be sucked, by capillary attraction, between the upper end of the float and the inner face of the top of the container, whereby it is permitted to pass through the open ings 2, and even through, opening 3, to constantly moisten the asbestos material 5. To prevent possible displacement of the float and to insure effective operation thereof, it is equipped with a headed gmde stem 12 which slides through-the opening At this Supply tank 13 and a pipe 14 which leads 'tainer by this arrangement.

point, I wish to state that the guide stem is of suificient size to rather snugly fit the opening 3 to prevent, to a certain extent, passage of fuel through this opening.

Inasmuch as the container 1' must be kept practically full of fuel, I make use of suitable force-feed 'means for accomplishing thls .end. The means shown comprises a from the former to the container 1.- In order that a constant flow of fuel will be brought about, I dispose the tank 13 at a much higher level than the container 1 and the fuel is fed through the pipe 14L by gravity, as is obvious.

In use, fuel is fed from the tank 13 through the pipe 14 and into the container 1 by gravity, a predetermined and constant level of fuel being maintained in the con As thecon tainer is practically full of fuel, only a small amount of capillary attraction is nec essary to draw or suck fuel through the opening 2. Furthermore, since the level of the fuel is as shown, the float is maintained in a position to practically cover the openings 2 and 3, yet to permit a small or thin film of fuel to lie between the float and top of the container. As the saturated asbestos material and wick become dry or tend to become dry as the fuel is used, they will be replenished and automatically kept moist by using the aforesaid fuel forming the film, through the opening 2 and porous material and wick. Due to this construction and arrangement, only the smallest possible amount of fuel is permitted to pass from the container to the porous material of the burner. Thus, no more fuel is consumed than is actually needed. In view of this, a

' great saving of fuel is brought about and the heater is rendered automatic in operation and requires only the smallest possible amount of care from the attendant. Furthermore, by restricting the amount of fuel lhen again, I have found, from practicaluse, that a frequent trimming of the wick. becomes unnecessary.

The foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings is thought to be sufficient to enable persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, to obtain a clear understanding of the same and to make note of the most important features and advantages. Therefore, a more lengthy and detailed description is deemed'unnecessary. Since advantageous and effective results.

arrangement of parts herein shown and described, this construction and arrangement are taken as the preferred embodiment ofthe invention. However, slight -minor I cla1m:

1. A heater comprising a fuel container having a passage for the fuel, a burner assov ciatedwith the container and including a wick supplied withfuel passing'through said opening, fuel supply means for said container, and fuel-controlled means arranged in said container for controlling the passage of fuel through the aforesaid open-' ing. i v

2. A heater of the typeset forth comprising a fuel container having a passage for the fuel, a burner associated with the con-' tainer, including a quantity of porous material covering said passage, a force-feed supply line leading'to the container, and automatically operable means in the latter for restricting the flow of fuel from thecontainer through the passage therein. 3. A heater of the type set forth comprising a fuel container having an outlet opening in its top, a burner including a quantity of porous material covering said opening, said material being kept constantlymoistened by the fuel passing from the container through said opening, a float valve in the container for partially covering the opening but permitting a very small quantity of fuel to be drawn through the same by capillary attraction, and fuel supply means for maintaining a predetermined fuel level in said container.

i. A heater comprising a fuel container having a fuel outlet opening in its top, and having an upstanding'ringsurrounding said opening, thusforming a cup, a quantity'of asbestos seated-in the cup, covering said opening and including a vertical extension, a burner fitted on said ring and arranged over and covering said cup and asbestos, in cluding a-wick contacting with said asbestos, a float in said container partially covering said opening but permitting a very smallifamount of fuel to be drawn through joined claims, may be resorted to. 1

the latter by capillary attraction, I guide-- may be obtained with the 'constructionand changes coming within the scope of the submeans for maintaining a predetermined quantity of fuel in said container, to at all times retain said float in the aforesaid position.

5. A heater comprising a fuel container formed in its top with a fuel escape opening, a burner supported on the top of said container, a porous pad arranged in said burner and extending over said opening so 10 as to draw fuel therethrough by capillary attraction, said pad including an upwardly directed extension constituting a tongue, a wick slidably mounted in said burner and contacting with said tongue to become saturated with fuel contained in the latter, and means for adjusting said wick.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' JOHN W. OSBORNE. 

